Videographer Portfolio Permission for Events

In short

Portfolio use is separate from the video you ordered. It is a decision of its own.
You can say yes, say no, or say yes with limits on what, where and for how long.
Other people in the footage matter too. Your own permission may not cover them.
Put the answer in writing before the event, and revisit it when the video is delivered.

Using your footage to promote the videographer is a separate decision from ordering your video. You can say yes, say no, or say yes with limits, and the answer should be written down before the event.

Portfolio use means the supplier shows parts of your event on their website, showreel, social media or in pitches to other clients. It is not the same as your own use of the video, which is covered in recording versus publishing.

What are your options?

There are three common positions. Choose the one that fits the event.

Option	What it means	Fits
No portfolio use	The supplier does not use your footage to promote itself	Private, sensitive or confidential events
Limited use	Only agreed clips, places and time period	Most corporate and community events
Open use	The supplier may choose suitable material	Public events where the organiser is comfortable with it

Whichever you choose, write it down so both sides know the answer.

If you are unsure, start with limited use. You can allow more later, but something already published is hard to withdraw.

What limits can you set?

Limits make a “yes” safer. Think about these questions:

What? A short excerpt, a still frame, or the whole highlight film.
Which moments? Exclude speeches, private moments, children or guests who asked not to appear.
Where? The supplier’s website only, or also social media and pitches to other clients.
For how long? A set period, or until you ask for removal.
Whose name? Your event named, or kept anonymous.
With what music? Music added to the video may have its own limits. See music permissions for social posts, advertising and livestreams.

Here is an illustrative example. A company allows two short clips of the stage and venue, with no staff faces in close-up, for the supplier’s website only, with no company name, for one year.

Who else needs to agree?

You can only give permission for what is yours to give. The people on screen may have their own views, and the venue may have its own rules.

For a wedding or private family event, ask the main family members, and consider that guests did not come to be in someone’s promotion. See keeping a wedding or family film private.

For a company event, check with your marketing, legal or human resources contact. For a school or children’s event, the school’s own process comes first. See planning school event filming and permissions.

Ownership of the finished video and the licence to use it are separate points, covered in video ownership, usage rights and raw-file delivery. For a legal question about rights in the footage, ask a qualified adviser.

What should go in the agreement?

Write the answer in the quote, scope or terms, in plain words:

Whether portfolio use is allowed: yes, no or limited.
The clips or moments covered, and those excluded.
The channels and time period.
Whether your name or event is shown.
How you can ask for removal, and who to contact.

Ask to see the final clip before it is published if the event matters to you.

What we confirm for your event

Whether portfolio use is off for your event, or limited, or open.
Whether you approve any clip before it goes online.
How a later removal request from you is handled on our channels.

Our filming and publication responsibilities checklist can help you record the decision. The event videography service page explains how we agree scope before a booking.

If you want your event kept out of our promotion, or open to limited use, tell us when you enquire. We will write down what you decide as part of the booking, and agree any use of your footage before it happens.

WhatsApp us

Sources

WIPO Lex, Malaysia Copyright Act 1987, checked 2026-10-06
JPDP, Act A1727 (amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010), checked 2026-10-06

Checked on the date shown. Rules and venue requirements change, so confirm them for your own event.

Useful next steps

Settle permissions and privacy before filming your event

A plain guide to permissions, privacy, music and publication for event video in Malaysia: what to settle with the organiser, venue and guests before filming.

Your Malaysian event, filmed the way you planned

Event videography across Malaysia for corporate, family, school, sports, faith and community events. Choose coverage and films that fit your programme, then ask for a quote.

Filming and publication responsibilities checklist

See who needs to agree what before an event is filmed and published: venue, guests, children, speakers, music, drone and channels. Open items stay open.

Permissions to discuss before filming an event

A plain checklist of the venue, guest, music and publication permissions to talk through with your videographer before an event is filmed in Malaysia.

Recording an event versus publishing it publicly

Filming an event and sharing the video are two decisions. See how private, internal, public and paid uses differ, and what to agree before filming in Malaysia.

Who can access your footage: editors and cloud tools

Event footage often passes through editing, cloud storage and review links. Learn what to ask about who handles it and how it is kept safe.

Confidential presentations and off-record segments

How to mark confidential presentations and off-record moments before an event is filmed, including a roundtable example and who is responsible for access.

Questions people ask

Does hiring a videographer mean they can use my footage to promote themselves?

Not automatically. Whether they may depends on what you agree. Some suppliers ask for it, some do not use client footage at all. Ask the question before you book, and have the answer written into the scope or terms rather than assumed.

Can I allow a short clip but not the full video?

Yes. You can limit use to a short excerpt, a still frame, or specific moments, and exclude others. Say which moments are fine and which are not. A private family or corporate moment can stay out even if the rest is open.

Can I change my mind after the event?

Talk to your videographer about this at the start. Some things, like a video already published, are hard to undo fully. A clear process for withdrawing permission, agreed in advance, makes it easier. Once something is shared, a removal request covers our own channels; copies others have made are harder to reach.

Who else needs to agree besides me?

It depends on who appears and what the event is. Guests, performers, children or a venue may all have a say. Your permission as organiser may not cover them. For a private family event, ask the main family members. For a company event, check with your internal team.

Planning an event? Let’s talk it through.